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(CNN) --
The Joe Biden administration has determined that the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that flew across the United States last week was operating with electronic surveillance technology capable of monitoring American communications, according to a senior State Department official.
The balloon "was capable of conducting signals intelligence gathering operations" and was part of a fleet that had flown over "more than 40 countries on five continents."
“We know that the PRC used these balloons for surveillance,” the official said.
"High-resolution images of U-2 flybys revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of executing signals intelligence gathering operations."
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Signals intelligence refers to information that is collected by electronic means, such as communications and radar.
US officials revealed new details about the balloon's capabilities and US decisions about how and when to shoot it down in classified briefings and public hearings on Thursday, while lawmakers passed a resolution condemning China and demanding that the Biden administration provide more answers to the Congress.
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Despite the latest revelations about the spy balloon's capabilities, the Pentagon has insisted since the object was first publicly acknowledged that it does not give China capabilities beyond what it already has with spy satellites or other means.
“We did not assess that it presented a significant collection risk beyond what already exists in the Chinese actionable technical means,” Gen. Glenn VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and NORAD, said Monday.
Tense briefings at the Capitol
Government officials at the Pentagon, the State Department and the intelligence community briefed lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Thursday about the balloon, drawing criticism from Republicans for allowing it to float across the US before it was released. was shot down off the Atlantic coast.
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The officials told lawmakers that the US has assessed that the Chinese balloon operation gained little new intelligence because the Chinese seemed to stop passing on information once the US found out about the balloon, in addition to US measures. to protect sensitive intelligence from China's spy operations, according to the sources.
The United States also believes that what it has recovered from the downed balloon is beneficial to US intelligence, the sources said.
Another source familiar with the briefings said officials said the balloon would give the Chinese better photo and signal collection than satellites, as well as better ability to orient themselves and hover longer over collection targets.
In secret congressional briefings, administration officials argued that the United States did not rush to shoot down the balloon in part out of fear it could spark an escalation of military tensions with China or even military conflict.
Biden gave the order to shoot down the balloon when the Pentagon felt it was safe to do so, the sources said, so the Pentagon ultimately decided when to shoot it down.
The briefing in the House of Representatives on Thursday morning was tense, the sources said, with several Republicans criticizing the administration, including Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, who said the Pentagon made the president, whom He pointed out that he doesn't like it, looks weak for his actions.
In response, the informants tried to establish a detailed timetable for the actions, the sources said.
"The Pentagon was telling us that they could mitigate in real time as this was happening and I think that's correct," Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Illinois, told CNN.
"I think the preeminent concern they had, expressed in real time, was the safety of American citizens."
Senators lobbied defense officials at an Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday on the military's assessment of Chinese surveillance, with Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana telling officials he didn't know how they could say unequivocally that it wasn't. a military threat.
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“You guys have to help me understand why this baby wasn't delivered long before, and I'm telling you, this won't be the last time.
We've [seen] short forays, now we've seen a long foray, what happens next?” said Tester, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittee.
"We don't understand why, frankly, we have been briefed in your committee over and over again about the risks China poses, both economically and militarily," he said.
"China tends to go further all the time until a line is drawn."
Pentagon officials told the hearing that the Defense Department was not concerned that the balloon would collect information over Alaska because it was not close to sensitive sites.
The balloon first crossed US airspace over Alaska on January 28, Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary of defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, said during the hearing.
When the balloon was detected, it was not determined to have "hostile intent," Sims said, and officials did not believe it would affect air routes or present a significant intelligence-gathering capability.
That changed when the balloon began to move over the lower 48 states, but while it was over Alaska, authorities determined it was not over critical infrastructure.
The House on Thursday passed a symbolic resolution condemning China's surveillance balloon with a vote of 419 to zero.
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The State Department official noted that the balloon was part of a Chinese fleet developed to conduct surveillance operations" with a manufacturer linked to China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), the official added.
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The official suggested that the United States consider sanctions for the presence of the balloon in US airspace, something that US officials have repeatedly called a violation of the country's sovereignty and international law, noting that the United States “ It will also explore taking action against PLA-linked PRC entities that supported the balloon incursion into US airspace.”
A recovery operation is underway to secure the balloon's debris with analysis continuing at an FBI lab in Virginia, but comments from officials suggest the US has already established the balloon was operating on surveillance technology. electronics.
However, the United States has said it has been able to prevent the balloon from intercepting American communications.
“The equipment on the high-altitude balloons was clearly for intelligence surveillance and was inconsistent with the equipment on board the weather balloons.
It had multiple antennas to include an array likely capable of collecting and geolocating communications.
It was equipped with solar panels large enough to produce the power needed to operate multiple active intelligence collection sensors,” the official added.
“We could track the exact path of the balloon and ensure that no unencrypted sensitive communications or activities are taking place in its vicinity,” a senior administration official said this week.
"The US military took immediate steps to guard against the collection of sensitive information from the balloon, mitigating any intelligence value to the PRC."
The government sought to avoid an escalation of tensions with China
President Joe Biden suggested on Wednesday that bilateral relations with China had not been affected by the fall of the balloon, but China reacted angrily to the shooting down, declining a call with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. canceled a high-profile trip to Beijing on Friday.
New sanctions in response to the balloon would likely further increase tensions.
“We know that all of these balloons are part of a PRC fleet of balloons developed to conduct surveillance operations.
These types of activities are often carried out under the leadership of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)," added the senior State Department official.
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Despite that, lawmakers were told on Thursday that the order to send the balloon was commissioned by a part of the Chinese government without Xi Jinping's knowledge, sources familiar with the briefing said.
It is unknown what the reason was.
China “has flown these surveillance balloons over more than 40 countries on five continents,” the State Department official said, noting that “the Biden Administration communicates directly with countries about the scope of this program and answers any questions ”.
The official said that based on China's "public messages and comments, it is clear that they have struggled to explain why they violated US sovereignty and still have no plausible explanation, and have found themselves hot on their heels."
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"As we saw with the second balloon over Central and South America that they have just recognized, they also have no explanation of why they violated the airspace of those countries," the official said.
“The PRC program will only continue to be exposed, making it difficult for the PRC to use this program.”
CNN's Jim Sciutto, Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann and Clare Foran contributed to this report.